Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Gambling

lord chadlington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proposal made by Rethink Gambling in their 2014 Gambling Manifesto that any new form of gambling, including new modes or types of venue, should be subject to a full social, health and economic impact assessment.

lord ashton of hyde: The Gambling Act 2005 created an independent regulator, the Gambling Commission, which has a duty to ensure gambling is consistent with the licensing objectives; keeping gambling free of crime, ensuring it is fair and open, and protecting children and vulnerable people from harm or exploitation. The Commission regularly reviews its regulatory requirements to take account of developments in technology and in the market, and in response to emerging risks and issues. While welcoming innovation, it applies the precautionary principle to new products, or to innovation in other areas, when there is good reason to believe they might cause harm disproportionate to any benefits they might bring.

Charities: Finance

lord chadlington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the obligations of charities to disclose their financial stability to donors.

lord ashton of hyde: The Charity Commission’s guidance on charities in financial difficulty expects trustees to discharge their duties by regularly assessing and monitoring the overall financial position of their charity and by taking steps to ensure that its funds can continue to be used for the purposes for which they were given. Where their charity has to close, the Charity Commission expects trustees to have planned for an orderly shutdown. The directors of charities that are companies also need to take all necessary steps to avoid wrongful trading. Charities that prepare their accounts on a receipts and payments basis are not required to include a note to their accounts about the charity’s financial circumstances but are encouraged to do so as a matter of good practice. Charities that prepare ‘true and fair’ accounts under the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) must confirm that the charity is a going concern or alternatively advise of any uncertainties as to going concern in the notes to the accounts.  The Charity Commission’s Directions to charity independent examiners changed from 1 December 2017 requiring them to review the trustees’ consideration of their charity’s financial circumstances and, where the SORP is followed, the trustees’ assessment of going concern. Auditors of charities already have to report on going concern and the UK charity regulators have required auditors and examiners since 1 May 2017 to advise the regulator directly of any doubts they have as to a charity being a going concern. This important duty will be a key contribution to the ability of charity regulators to take timely action. UK charity regulators have agreed a common list of matters of material significance to assist auditors in reporting important matters on a timely basis. The new requirements have strengthened charity regulators’ ability to take action where there are serious concerns about a charity’s financial health or financial management.

Gambling: Suicide

lord chadlington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for additional independent research on the number of gambling related suicides in the UK.

lord ashton of hyde: The charity GambleAware, which commissions research, education and treatment for problem gamblers, has established an expert steering group to help build a better shared understanding of gambling-related harms, chaired by the deputy chair of the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board, expert advisers to the Gambling Commission. As part of this work it will look at what research needs to be done on suicide and suicidal ideation and it will shortly publish an initial paper for wider consultation. The Department of Health and Social Care is also working with DCMS and other stakeholders to examine the issue of gambling-related suicide. Suicide prevention is a priority for Government and DHSC updated the National Suicide Prevention Strategy last year to strengthen its key areas for action.

Home Office

Gosport War Memorial Hospital

lord morris of aberavon: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to invite HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services, and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate to set up a joint inquiry on the failure to investigate and initiate prosecutions in the case of the Gosport Hospital over the last 15 years.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government is considering the report by the Gosport Independent Panel and will provide its response setting out its next steps in the Autumn.

Immigration: Commonwealth

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any discriminatory effects on Black and Asian Commonwealth citizens of the Commonwealth Immigrants Acts 1962 and 1968 and the Immigration Act 1971; and what consideration is being given to reversing any such effects.

baroness williams of trafford: The Acts were approved by parliament in order to provide tighter regulations on those seeking to enter the UK.The Commonwealth Immigrants Acts 1962 and 1968 specifically sought to make Commonwealth nationals, other than those with close family ties to the UK, subject to immigration control, in the same way as other nationals.This was further addressed with the Immigration Act 1971 which more clearly made all commonwealth nationals subject to immigration control unless they held partiality through an ancestral connection to the UK. In order to protect those already in the UK without this connection provision was included to enable those who were settled and ordinarily resident in the UK to remain indefinitely.

British Nationality: Hong Kong

lord craig of radley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 24 April (HL6972), when a decision, said to be made "as soon as practicable", will be reached on the request of 301 British Hong Kong Servicemen to be granted British citizenship.

baroness williams of trafford: We are actively considering the wider issue of those former Hong Kong Military Service Corps personnel who were unable to obtain citizenship through the selection scheme.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Regulation

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Henley on 22 June (HL8591), when each of the bodies listed became public under the Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000.

lord henley: The Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000 was enacted on 28 July 2000. On that date the following public bodies were already in existence:Bank of EnglandCompanies HouseInsolvency Service The Financial Reporting Council was incorporated in March 1990 and became a public body in its current form in 2004. The Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority were established in their current form in April 2013 by the Financial Services Act 2012.

Females: Directors

baroness uddin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the number of ethnic minority women, including Muslim women, occupying FTSE 100 finance chief roles.

lord henley: Diversity and inclusion in the boardroom and the workplace is a hugely important element of building an economy that works for all. The Government is committed to a cohesive society, where everyone – no matter what their background – has the opportunity to enter into and progress at work and achieve on merit. Sir John Parker’s business-led review into ethnic minorities on FTSE boards published in November 2017, showed that only about 8% of FTSE 100 Directors were from an ethnic minority background, and just over 2% were British citizens from an ethnic minority background, compared to the 14% of the UK population. That is why Government supports and has been promoting the recommendation made by Sir John that all FTSE 100 companies should have at least one director of colour by 2021. We are supporting the Hampton-Alexander Review to meet their targets of women holding 33% of senior leadership positions and 33% of board positions in the FTSE 350, by 2020. We are also supporting the Women in Finance Review Charter, which commits firms to support the progression of women into senior roles in the financial services by focusing on the executive pipeline and publicly reporting on progress against internal targets.

Energy: Meters

baroness featherstone: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the accuracy of gas meters and smart meters.

lord henley: Gas meters used for billing must be of an approved design and be accurate. Accuracy limits for smart and ‘traditional’, non-smart meters are identical and set out in legislation. The Office for Product Safety and Standards manages an annual in-service testing regime to test the accuracy of gas meter types. Testing is undertaken on the basis of sampling and to date all gas meter types sampled have passed. In the event of a dispute over the accuracy of a meter, the law gives all consumers the right to have their gas meter independently checked and tested. The vast majority of meters tested as a result of consumer dispute are found to be accurate.

Natural Gas: Meters

baroness featherstone: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration is being given by the Office for Product Safety and Standards to the measurement of the ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure in gas meters, to ensure more accurate readings.

lord henley: The Office for Product Safety and Standards is responsible for the regulatory system that delivers accuracy in measurement of gas consumed. However, calculations relating to the ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure that are applied to those measurements for the purposes of billing, are a matter for the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (OFGEM) under the Gas (Calculation of Thermal Energy) Regulations 1996. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the noble Baroness. I will place a copy of his letter in the Libraries of the House.

Energy: Meters

baroness featherstone: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the efficacy of the smart meter programme in reducing the proportion of households in fuel poverty.

lord henley: No recent assessment has been made. However, BEIS research published in 2015 (the Early Learning Project) concluded that there is potential for households in all income groups to make energy and/or cost savings from smart metering. Previous research (the Energy Demand Research Project) had also identified a more positive response to smart metering from consumers in areas of relatively high fuel poverty.

House of Fraser: Closures

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the loss of jobs and the impact on the high street arising from the closure of some House of Fraser stores.

lord henley: House of Fraser has stated that stores identified for closure are expected to remain open until early 2019 and have committed to supporting workers affected, but we recognise that it must be a concerning time for House of Fraser employees. The Department for Work and Pensions and Jobcentre Plus will work with the company to understand the level of employee support required. Jobcentre Plus’s Rapid Response Service is ready to help workers get back into employment as soon as possible. On the 18 June 2018, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government announced that they will launch a call for evidence over the summer looking at the future of our high street. They intend to establish an expert panel to diagnose the issues currently affecting the high street.

Impact Assessments

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the difference between an impact assessment and a regulatory triage assessment when undertaken by a government department.

lord henley: An impact assessment is a means of using cost benefit analysis to inform policy decision-making and to ensure good practice in developing policy based on robust evidence.Regulatory triage assessments were used in the previous Parliament to demonstrate that measures were eligible for ‘fast track scrutiny’ under the better regulation framework, and applied to either deregulatory measures or those with gross impacts under £1 million a year.For this Parliament, regulatory triage assessments are no longer required. Some Departments may have retained the triage assessment as part of their internal process

Public Sector: Procurement

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reportChain reaction: Improving the supply chain experience for smaller firms, published by the Federation of Small Businesses in June; and whetherthey will publish their response to the recommendations in the report.

lord henley: The Government notes this wide ranging report with interest and continues to engage with the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) on a regular basis. It highlights some important issues on the supply chain experience for SMEs and the analysis and recommendations will be considered as we implement the Industrial Strategy which is taking action in many of these areas. Since the publication of the Industrial Strategy, four Sector Deals have been announced and there are more in discussion. And we will work in partnership with places to develop Local Industrial Strategies, which will be developed locally and agreed with the government. I note the most commonly reported risks to supply chains by FSB smaller suppliers are customers failing to pay for services / goods provided (51%). At the Spring Statement, my rt. hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that a call for evidence will be published on eliminating unfair payment practices; this will seek views on how the government can go further to deliver a fair payment culture.

Business: Procurement

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact that potential disruption in the supply chain could have on businesses which rely on "just-in-time" systems; and what assurances they are offering to those businesses.

lord henley: Government recognises the critical role competitive supply chains play in the UK economy – boosting inward investment, exports, job creation, productivity and value for local economies. We have been looking at all aspects of supply chain impacts including ‘Just in Time’. We are reviewing evidence to identify opportunities to make UK supply chains stronger, more visible and efficient, and improve the offer to potential investors. We are also facilitating conditions for stronger supply chains through our Industrial Strategy, which sets out a long-term approach to ensure that we’re building an economy fit for the future and will help us make the best of our relations with Europe and beyond. For example, we are: using our procurement strategically to drive UK innovation, providing £16m funding (subject to business case) to an industry-led supplier competitiveness and productivity improvement programme and adopting new measures under UK Export Finance to enhance support available for exporters and their supply chains. This builds on the extensive support Government has given to supply chains including £80m since 2013 for the Sharing in Growth programme focussing on the aerospace sector.

Department for International Development

St Helena: Subsidies

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what benefits exist for the economy of St Helena from the withdrawal of the shipping subsidy and reductions in the utilities subsidy.

lord bates: The shipping subsidy paid by the UK Government covered the operating losses incurred by the RMS St Helena until its decommissioning in February 2018. It was a long standing agreement between the UK and St Helena Governments that sea freight would not be subsidised following the introduction of air services. The St Helena Government has confirmed plans to increase, not decrease, the subsidy it provides to cover costs of delivering utilities to consumers.

St Helena: Aviation

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial benefit St Helena has so far gained from the weekly scheduled flights which began in October 2017.

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) increases in the number of tourists visiting St Helena, and (2) monetary benefit to the island’s economy arising from tourism they have identified since weekly scheduled flights began in October 2017.

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what evidence they have, if any, that indicates that the building of an airport in St Helena will improve the island's economy and improve residents' standard of living.

lord bates: St Helena Airport provides quicker, more regular access to St Helena. It was built to stimulate St Helena’s economy through increased tourist numbers. A journey which previously took six days now takes six hours. The air service has already carried over 4,000 passengers to and from St Helena. The airport brings other benefits such as quicker access to healthcare for those living on the island. The air service has been operating for less than a year and there is not yet enough data to robustly assess the impact air access is having on the island’s economy.

St Helena: Inflation

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of current and projected price increases in St Helena on (1) its employment levels, (2) the disposable income of its residents, and (3) living standards.

lord bates: The St Helena Government regularly publishes statistical information including detail from their latest household expenditure survey. The statistics show (1) the number claiming unemployment benefit over the last 2 years has varied on a monthly basis from a low of 5 in October 2017, to a high of 21 in July 2017, the current number of claimants is 19, (2) real average annual incomes have increased by 3.4% since 2012/13 and (3); household expenditures increased by 16% over the last 8 years.

St Helena: Pensions

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whetherBritish residents in receipt of pensions in St Helena are experiencing difficulties in obtaining and returning the required Pension Life Certificates and, as a result, having pension payments suspended.

lord bates: The UK Government is aware that around 90 individuals with British pensions have been affected or will be affected by the difficulties in obtaining and returning their Pension Life Certificates. The St Helena Governor’s Office is assisting those affected by facilitating calls to the Department for Work and Pensions and any pensioner experiencing financial distress can contact St Helena Government for short-term financial support.

Northern Ireland Office

Children: Northern Ireland

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Northern Ireland Executive about the establishment of a children's fund for Northern Ireland.

lord duncan of springbank: Children’s funding in Northern Ireland is a devolved matter. The Government have therefore not held discussions on the establishment of a Children's fund for Northern Ireland.

Electoral Register: Northern Ireland

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people have applied to join the electoral register in Northern Ireland by online registration ineach of the eighteen Parliamentary constituencies.

lord duncan of springbank: Between 18 June 2018 and 29 June 2018, 4,439 people applied online to join the electoral register in Northern Ireland. The following information shows the figures for the number of people who have applied online by constituency. These figures have been provided by the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland. Number of online applications received between 18 June 2018-29 June 2018 ConstituencyNumber of online applicationsBelfast East280Belfast North334Belfast South331Belfast West300East Antrim209East Londonderry150Fermanagh and South Tyrone167Foyle245Lagan Valley242Mid Ulster161North Antrim201North Down224Newry and Armagh233South Antrim304South Down253Strangford192Upper Bann248West Tyrone177Not yet associated to a constituency*188Total4,439 *This figure relates to applications received relating to new properties in NI which need to be added to the system or where applicants have incorrectly filled in address fields in application and the system has not automatically recognised the constituency. EONI are working to confirm the constituencies.

Northern Ireland Assembly: Members

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to make a determination on the salary levels of Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

lord duncan of springbank: The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has made clear that she is carefully considering all the details and will set out the next steps on this matter in due course.